Can a robot drive 100s of Kilometers with < 1 m Error without GPS?

A considerably difficult aspect of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is the problem of uncertainty constrained long term point-to-point navigation where global loop closures to eliminate estimation biases may not be possible. In such scenarios, a prime concern is to control the rate of localization error growth. We have developed fundamental results on the underlying problem of localization and a novel SLAM technique that allows sub-meter localization error for a > 100 km trajectory without loop closure and using only on-board sensors, i.e., no GPS.